I MUST NOT BE RIGHT…

I must not be right… OK, before everyone jumps on the “ain’t that the truth” bandwagon… I’m talking about my tastes in motorcycles. It seems like a majority of people I come across have a habit of drooling over large amounts of Chrome and Easter Egg paint jobs… but the bikes that always grab my attention and put me into a “Homer-Simpson-Looking-At-A-Donut” kind of trance are the mutts. The outcasts. The Rats. The ugly Betty’s. The bikes that were obviously built with blood, sweat and tears, didn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg, are actually ridden and are never polished!

This weekend I ran across one such bike at a local bike show… and while many were walking past it to get to the “pretty” and “vintage” bikes… I took more pics of this Yamaha beauty than any other bike there. This bike is awesome!

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6 responses

ronman1

I hear ya Swag. Even though I ride an Ultra I’m not into sitting around rubbing on it. I bought her to ride. I can look at pictures. I love the name on the tank “Momma Tried”. Surely Merl would approve.

As much as I like chrome and shine – I’m with you – Pearl is with me to ride. Love the grit of old bikes and the stories they have to tell.

March 28, 2010 at 7:48 PM

atomic

Are you out of your mind? “Rat’s” “ugly bettys”. I call them pieces of sh**. My brother and I where joking around several years ago about building the F**k It bikes. These would be pieces of junk bikes with no kick stands. One would just ride them and when you got to where you’re where going just turn off the key and let the bike fall. Thusly a “F**K IT*(FI) bike. And now look, these are the trend. Winning shows? Drool over? Takes a lot of talent to go to a junk yard buy some rusty parts and few cans of flat black spray paint. Give me a break. What does it take about 20 – 40 hours to build an FI bike? A show quality riding bike takes many months if not years with given sacrifice not only in skin but time, effort, intelligence and money. After all the scarifices I have gone through to complete my bike then I have to go to a show to have my bike judged against those pieces of crap. It’s insulting. These shows will never get my money or time again.

Atomic… You shouldn’t feel slighted my friend. Nobody is comparing the skill level required to build a show bike to a bike like this. It’s a whole different thing. And I don’t know of any show that would put a bike like yours in the same class as a bike like this one. (this bike was in the low-budget chopper class) Plus… Like I said, most were just walking right past this bike. I just personally like the look… But Im sure that many don’t.

The beauty of motorcycles is the never-ending variations on a theme. Choppers, sports-bikes, adventure, and so on all have a place and a beauty to them, and so does the overlooked machine you came across. That is someone’s pride and joy, their baby, and should be respected just as much as any chrome skinned $100k creation because the same passion went into building it. Its got character and heart and that’s all that matters, awesome.